burnnoticefandomcom-20200214-history
Episode 615: Best Laid Plans
Best Laid Plans is the fifteenth episode of season 6. Synopsis Fiona, Jesse, and Schmidt go back to his warehouse to get a piece of high tech equipment that a friend of Schmidt wants for $1,000,000. Spy Facts One of the toughest tasks in intelligence work is learning how to wait. When meeting an operative in public, you have to be on constant alert for undercover law enforcement and surveillance. But when anyone could be your enemy, it's hard to act natural. An interrogation typically begins with deprivation and discomfort. That means the thermostat cranked all the way up, uncomfortable furniture, dim lights that strain the eyes, and if there's food, not much of it. It's all about making sure you're exhausted and vulnerable before your interrogator even sets foot in the door. Large security forces can work to your advantage because each individual thinks everybody else is paying attention. So, if you find a hole in the security, you can get in. Of course, if anything goes wrong, you're surrounded by the same security forces you snuck past. As a spy, you deal with a lot of dangerous people and a lot of dangerous technology. Since it's a bad idea to put them together, you get pretty good at faking sophisticated hardware. The good news is that the more high-end the technology, the less likely your buyer is to know how it works. Hand them a device that looks right, feels right, and sounds right, and it should do the trick. And adding a listening device is never a bad idea. When you have a full-time surveillance team on your tail, it's difficult to set private meetings. So if you need to arrange a sit-down with someone you can't contact directly, you have to contact them indirectly. In almost any operation, there's a moment when everything hangs in the balance. When a dribble of sweat, a clumsy answer, or even a stutter could get you killed. Banking security algorithms look for anything unusual. Transfers in large amounts, on the same day, or to multiple countries at the same time. Do any one of those, and you might get red-flagged. Do all of them, and you'll send the authorities looking for you anywhere you want them to. Spies love buildings with assigned parking spaces. If you need to talk your way past security, they give you the name of the company's employees, their positions, and even how powerful they are, all with just a stroll through the parking lot. Like terrorists, organized criminals tend to be cautious about the people they work with right before a major operation. They watch you when you eat, post someone outside the door when you go to the bathroom, and force you to sleep under lock and key. That is, assuming you can sleep. Whether you're a spy or a thief, the first priority in assaulting a building is remaining concealed. If you hit the building early on a Sunday morning, you won't have traffic or pedestrians to worry about. And if you arrive dressed as a state-contracted cleaning crew, anyone who does see you won't give you a second look. The best way to engage your enemy isn't always with a gun in your hand. Come off as harmless and weak, and you can get close to your target without him getting suspicious, and that's when you strike. For an operative, smuggling a gun into a mission is only half the battle. The real trick is getting used to it when you need it. It's not the kind of thing where you get a second chance, so when you make your move, you better make it count. Leaving signals in public is a time-honored way for spies to communicate in the field. It's reliable and easy, but the downside is you have to check for messages on a constant basis. And if you see one, you have to hurry to a rally point as fast as you can and hope that it's not too late. Full recap Characters *Jeffrey Donovan ... Michael Westen *Gabrielle Anwar ... Fiona Glenanne *Coby Bell ... Jesse Porter *Bruce Campbell ... Sam Axe *Sharon Gless ... Madeline Westen *Sonja Sohn ... Olivia Riley *Paul Tei ... Barry *Marcos A. Ferraez ... Thorn (as Marcos De La Cruz) *Patton Oswalt ... Calvin Schmidt Notes Category:Burn Notice episodes Category:Season 6